


Take Care of Him

by RomancebyFaye



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bathing/Washing, But he is discussed, Caring T'Challa, Chapter one written before i saw black panther, Discussions of migraines, Headaches & Migraines, IronWarPanther, King T'Challa - Freeform, M/M, Migraine based off my own experiences, Multi, Polyamory, Prince Consort Rhodey, Prince Consort Tony, So the fic still greatly involves him, Tony doesn't actually make an apperance, Tony is in chapter two, Tony is present in chapter two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2019-08-22 14:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16599587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomancebyFaye/pseuds/RomancebyFaye
Summary: “James, please tell me what is wrong with Tony.”His voice was calm but urgent, trying to pull the conversation back on track. There was a pause followed by a deep, audible inhale  before the other man continued on without the rambling.“Yeah, ok. Sorry. So J called me because Tony came home a few hours ago and went straight to bed. He put up blackout mode in the bedroom and is...well. JARVIS said he's clutching an ice pack to his head...and crying. I think he has a migraine.”*Chapter Two is a fill for the Intimacy Without Sex square of my Tony Stark Bingo 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this a long time ago but never posted it. It was written on a whim when I was musing about if any of the MCU characters would suffer from migraines and how that would work. It's pretty self indulgent, and probably more descriptive of migraines than is necessary, but it is what it is. 
> 
> I wanted Tony being cared about and I wanted IronWarPanther, which I don't think I've seen before but has so much potential.
> 
>  
> 
> As a side note, Tony and Rhodey are reffered to as 'Prince Consort'. I did this because while they are all married and their relationship is recognised as permanent by Wakanda, neither Tony nor Rhodey hold any authority over the ruling of Wakanda since they are both outsiders.

 

Take Care of Him 

By

RomancebyFaye

* * *

 

It was late - or early, depending on which side if the sun one was coming from - and T’Challa was reading over papers in his recently opened office at the embassy. Between the negotiations and amendments to the Accords and the correspondence and delegation required for ruling his own country, he was no stranger to long hours.

  
Luckily for him, both of his partners were cut from similar cloth in regards to demands on their time.

T’Challa smiled as he rubbed his finger along his wedding band, one of a set of three. Just as he, Tony, and James were three different lives melded together, the rings were made of three different metals all wound together in beautiful and incredibly detailed patterns. Each of the metals stood for one of them. One was red and salvaged from Tony's first armor built after the cave, the second silver and taken from scraps of War Machine left over after an upgrade, and the third was vibranium fired and darkened to a deep shiny black just like the Black Panther suit.

Colonel James Rhodes was both an active member of the United States Air Force and back up to the Avengers team, both which had their own unique demands. Tony Stark was...well. He was an Avenger, provider and designer of all tech and equipment related to all the Avengers, active consultant to the recovering and newly rebuilt SHIELD, and also head of Research and Development for Stark Industries. Not to mention all his work with charities and humanitarian efforts.

Really the man was superhuman, enhanced or not.

T’Challa hadn't realized how late it had become until his attention was drawn by his phone where it began to buzz insistently at the edge of his desk.

There were few who had his personal number and his brows furrowed when he saw the call was from one of his lovers...The one who was currently supposed to be out of the country at an undisclosed location as a military consultant. He quickly answered, immediately relieved to hear James Rhodes voice on the line.

“Hey T,” James said, “Sorry to call you so late, but JARVIS told me you weren't at home.”

“Do not apologise, I am always glad to hear from you, love. I was merely reading some new developments that have been sent to me from home and lost track of the time.”

There was a chuckle from James, “I swear, between your, mine, and Tony's hours, it's a wonder that huge bed he bought gets any use.”

T’Challa laughed softly as well, though his mind was filled with times in which the bed had been occupied by all of them. “I seem to remember it seeing some fairly pleasant use by all three of us. Though I must admit, Tony and I tend to overwork when you are not here. Perhaps when you get home we can make up for some lost time?”

“Not a bad idea, kitty cat, not a bad idea at all.”

T'Challa sighed as if he were put out at the nickname, but both he and James knew he was smiling. Still, he knew there must be a reason for the call besides speaking of missed intimacies and poor sleep schedules. He only had to wait a few seconds before James began speaking again.

“Look, I know you're crazy busy, we all are, but I need you to head home. J called me and I think Tony is in bad shape- Now don't freak out!” James exclaimed, hearing the sharp intake of breath and the rattle of the chair T’Challa had been sitting in as it was shoved back at the mention of Tony in possible distress. His heart thundered in his chest as James continued on, “Tony's fine - or, well he's not, but he's not in danger, or any more danger than normal-”

Here T'Challa cut James off, even as he gathered his things and his escort of Dora Milaje followed his hurried departure. Really, Tony was the one who tended to ramble and the way James was doing it now was not reassuring him.

“James, please tell me what is wrong with Tony.”

His voice was calm but urgent, trying to pull the conversation back on track. There was a pause followed by a deep, audible inhale before the other man continued on without the rambling.

“Yeah, ok. Sorry. So J called me because Tony came home a few hours ago and went straight to bed. He put up blackout mode in the bedroom and is...well. JARVIS said he's clutching an ice pack to his head...and crying. I think he has a migraine.”

The elevator dinged as the King of Wakanda stepped into it, the words of James rolling through his mind.

“A migraine? Crying?,” he asks softly. Not because such a thing would be weak or unwarranted, but because Tony is so strong. Because Tony refuses to show any weakness because he has been shown time and time over that it would be exploited, abused, and used against him.  
Except occasionally to James. Even now T'Challa is not immune to the tiny hurt that JARVIS had called James instead of him.

Another sigh comes over the phone and he can practically envision the soft shake of James’ head that would be accompanying that particular tone of sigh.

“Yeah. I know. Look, Tony hardly ever gets them - thank god - and he hasn't had one in years. But when they come...Well, you remember a few months ago when things got so bad we had to call in Doctor Strange?”

Oh yes, T'Challa didn't think he’d ever forget that, not necessarily because of the fight against random portals from other dimensions, but because of what had been revealed after. The battle had raged for over two days before they managed to contain the anomaly, and at the end Tony had come out of the suit with a leg broken in two places, three badly bruised and two cracked ribs, a terribly sprained wrist, and a fractured ulna. All of which it had turned out he had sustained early in the fight.

“I recall I was not pleased, and neither were you.”

“Definitely not. But if all that damage he fought through were replaced with one of his migraines? Tony would have been done.

“I'm the only person who has ever been there when he has one- if that's what's going on. And from what Jarv is telling me, I'm pretty sure it is.”

Here there was another heavy pause as James considered his next words. “Look, I know it's hard for you sometimes, with mine and Tony's history, but he needs someone to take care of him right now, no matter how much of a tough bastard he is. But you can't make him feel weak or helpless. You know how hard headed he gets if he feels like he's an inconvenience or someone is looking down on him. He probably forbade JARVIS from calling you, which is why the sneaky little devil called me out here where no one is even supposed to know I am.”

The elevator opened to the garage and T’Challa followed his guard out, Okoye leading as carefully and vigilant as ever, but moving with a greater swiftness in consideration of the conversation she could hear going on. All of the Dora Milaje were fond of his lovers, but they had taken a special favor of Tony Stark for the way he had always treated them with respect.

“I will be delicate. I am a bit of a diplomat if you would remember. Now, tell me what to expect when we arrive back home.”

“Okay. You're going to have to leave the bedroom in blackout mode. Tony is going to be incredibly sensitive to light and sound. You can't move him suddenly either. It’s possible that he will vomit either way, but if you move faster than a turtle, he absolutely will be sick. If it's gotten bad enough that he's just lying in the dark in agony, it more than likely that by this point his balance and spatial recognition will be shot. That means he won't be able to walk or stand up on his own. Don't be alarmed if he's slurring his speech either.”

T'Challa was alarmed, he was very alarmed. He stepped into the waiting car with purpose and instructed the driver to get him home as fast as possible.

“James, what can I do for him? You are worrying me for his health. Is there nothing he can take to ease his suffering?”

“Not really,” James answered mournfully, “He'll have taken something already, but for some reason, his don't always respond well to medication, and his options are already limited due to his heart condition and his history of drug abuse. The best thing I've found over the years is to get him in a bath, but you can't leave him alone obviously. If I know JARVIS, he'll start one as soon as you get in the door.. It will be safer for you to just get in the tub with him and sit behind him - be prepared, because the water will be just this side of scalding. Let him lean against you for a while and just soak. If he will will let you, you should wash his hair and massage his scalp and shoulders while you're bathing with him.”

“And this will help?” T'Challa asks, committing all the information to memory.

“I hope so, it has so far throughout the years.”

“All right. I can do all this. Is there anything else?”

“Not that I can think of. Oh, actually, make him drink some water when you get him back in bed. Do not let him have coffee, even if he turns the doe eyes on you. It’s fine for him to drink it tomorrow, but don't let him have anymore tonight. Also, I told J to cancel anything for tomorrow because Tony will probably be exhausted and if he doesn't rest, the migraine will just come back.”

T'Challa nodded in agreement. “Do I need to contact Miss Potts?”

“Nah. I told JARVIS to send her a message letting her know Tony wasn't going to be available tomorrow before I called you. I knew you would go take care of him since I'm not there.”

“Of course. Whatever he needs,” T'Challa said gravely. Just then a chorus of raised voices came from James’ end of the phone.

“Damn, I'm sorry babe, I've got to go. Just, please remember Tony still has trouble feeling vulnerable and you are about to see him in a way that makes him feel weak. I really hope he doesn't act like an ass to try and run you off, but even if he does, you've got to promise me…” Here James’ voice trailed off, full of emotion and the unspoken desire to be home, where Tony was in pain and in need. “Promise me you'll take care of my Tones, that you’ll take care of my- of our baby.”

And T'Challa could feel it rising in himself, the echoing fierceness to guard and cherish these two amazing men he had come to love and be loved by and it filled his heart and gave absolute power to his words as he answered, “I promise, my love. You can trust him to me.”

For to T'Challa, that was the highest forms of each of their love, that James would trust him with his Tones and that Tony would trust him with his Rhodey.

“I know. I know I can. Now I really have to go. I love you both. Make sure you tell Tony I said I love him. And tell him I sent you to take care of him, too. It might keep him from acting out. At least a little.”

“I will. And I love you as well. Be safe and come home to us soon.”

“I'll try my damndest.”

And with that the line went dead.

Across the seat from him, Okoye, the lead of his elite Dora Milaje caught his eye. “I couldn't help but overhear, my mother also suffers from what ails Consort Anthony.”

T'Challa turned from watching the passing traffic and focused on her then. “I trust you with his life as well as my own. You know I value your wisdom as well as your prowess; I would welcome any advice you can offer.”

Okoye nodded and said, “My mother was easily nauseated by scents, as well as light and noise. Perhaps it would be best if you were to take a short shower to get rid of your cologne before going to Anthony.

“Also, I have a small vial of peppermint oil in my quarters, which my mother would dab behind her ears. She swears it eases the pain and duration of her ailment. Perhaps you would like me to bring it to your rooms to see if it might help him?”

“Thank you, Okoye. I believe I will do as you say, just in case. I can easily shower in the first guest room so I don't disturb Tony. If you don't mind dropping the vial outside that door, I will retrieve it on my way out.”

“Of course. I only hope it will be of some help.”

At that they fell into silence until they arrived home.

This was not usually the case, but James plea of ‘take care of our baby’ echoed in the King of Wakanda’s mind throughout the short trip. When they arrived, he pushed open his door in his haste to reach Anthony, who even now was likely in great pain.

T'Challa stepped out, surrounded by his guard as he made his way to take care of one of the pieces of his heart.

He would not fail.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> T'Challa received a call from Rhodey that Tony was suffering from a migraine. Since Rhodey is currently on a mission and unable to help their hisband, T'Challa steps in to assist. 
> 
> If Tony will accept his help remains to be seen...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation and also a Tony Stark Bingo 2019 fill for Intimacy Without Sex.
> 
> Could be read alone I suppose, but if people caring about Tony is your jam, you should read the first chapter as well.
> 
> Also, this is Rhodey/T'Challa/Tony. Or as I like to call it, IronWarPanther and I had to write it my danm self because there isn't any out there. Someone get on that. Like, chop chop.

Since James had warned T'Challa, he wasn't surprised when he entered the penthouse bedroom and it was indeed pitch black. Still, it was a bit strange that not even the faint glow of Tony's arc reactor was present to help light the way.

T'Challa had already showered in record time in one of the guest rooms to wash away any lingering fragrance that might make Tony's migraine worse, so he padded towards the bed, his steps sure but soft. When he sat down and felt the mattress give, Tony turned towards the movement and a tiny sliver of glowing blue was enough to light the room plenty for T'Challa's enhanced vision. 

Tony looked wrong somehow, his color was off and he squinted at the miniscule amount of light as if it were bright as the sun. Tony spoke, his voice tiny and small in a way T'Challa had never heard.

"Rhodey?" 

T'Challa smiled a little and reached to carefully run his fingers through Tony's hair, feeling the cold still left in places where Tony must have held an ice pack.

"No, my love. He is still on a mission. He did call me though, and told me you needed me and that he loves you. He is sorry he could not be here."

Tony shifted and the light disappeared. "Told Jarvis not...not to bother you," he murmured. His words slurred together a bit and T'Challa was glad James had warned him to expect that as well, or else he would have been quite alarmed.

"It is no bother to take care of you. You do much for me and James; would you deny us the privilege of being there when you need us?"

"'S different," Tony whispers.

"No. It is not," T'Challa answered, his tenderness extended in his tone as well as his fingers in Tony's hair. Perhaps one day Tony would see himself as worthy of the affection and care he showered on others. "But I think that is a conversation for another time. Jarvis? Could you run a bath for us?"

"Of course," Jarvis answers, his volume quite low. "I took the liberty of starting one as soon as you exited the shower. I must warn you, it will be quite hot, but in the past it has proven effective to soothe sir's pain somewhat. Though I would not allow him to enter it unaccompanied in his current condition."

Tony gave no response other than a weary sigh. A sure sign he was not himself.

"Come, my heart," T'Challa whispered as he ran a broad hand down the curve of Tony's back. "Let me help to ease your pain."

He watched as Tony rolled over slowly, every movement deliberate and careful. It takes him a full minute to work to a sitting position, his legs hanging over the edge of the bed. He breathes deep and unsteady the entire time and as soon as he has stopped moving, he clutches his head with his left hand, digging into the sockets of his eyes with force evident by the give of the delicate skin there.

It hurts the King of Wakanda to watch his husband like this, and for a moment he wishes their other husband was here. He wishes that Tony's Rhodey - who Tony had called for in the beginning - were here to guide him. He has never seen Tony like this, brought low and weak by pain, not even when injured beyond what should stop him from fighting.

He shakes it off though, and takes Tony's other hand, standing and allowing Tony to stand in his own time. Just like with sitting up, Tony takes long moments to stand, moving slowly and carefully. T'Challa would love to sweep him into his arms, but he doesn't wish to unsettle his small lover more than he is already and James had warned him of sudden movements.

After Tony has stood he still keeps his eyes firmly closed, though for the moment he has stopped pressing into the underside of his brow. T'Challa can see indents there in the crescent shapes of fingernails.

The trek to the bathroom has Tony leaning on him heavily, almost as if he were drunk. Even his footsteps seem meandering and ill placed. It's far removed from the usual grace Tony has which makes him a pleasure to observe, to watch and study. His movement usually fluid and flowing in a way that reminds T'Challa of water gliding over stones.

When they reach the bathroom, the tub is indeed steaming, wisps lit and curling in the blue glow from Tony's chest. T'Challa settles him on the lip of the huge tub before going to get a couple of waters, hoping he can coax Tony to drink at least one. He grabs towels as well, huge and fluffy and soft as clouds look.

Satisfied that he has everything they need at the moment, he strips off his clothes and then turns his attention to his lover. He is careful not to jostle Tony as he disrobes him; first his worn shirt, obviously large on his frame and smelling of their absent partner, and then his socks, baring elegant feet and toes. Tony moves to make it easier, no hint of protest as his soft pajamas are slid down along with his underwear.

His cock is soft, nestled in his neatly trimmed pubic hair, and though T'Challa can admit he takes a moment to admire Tony's naked form - because while he is concerned, he is certainly not immune to his husbands beauty - it stirs no desire in him in this moment other than an absent thought of appreciation.

He slips into the tub first, gritting his teeth at the burn of the water, even though he was warned multiple times. He turns to Tony after a moment of acclamation, marveling at the way he waits there, eyes still firmly closed as they have been this entire time, his body tight with tension from a pain T'Challa has not seen on him before and hopes not to again.

But he waits, there at the side of the tub, trusting and vulnerable, reaching out in faith when T'Challa says, "Come, I will help you in, my love."

And he does, treating this moment with gravity, reveling in the way Tony is trusting him, even as he feels a twinge of guilt at the pride. He knows Tony loves him as he loves James, but still, ‘Tones’ and ‘Rhodey’ have years of history that T'Challa does not share. It never makes him feel lesser or less loved by them, but the truth is that time has been shared between those two, and with it a deeper understanding and easy sort of trust than T'Challa has achieved yet.

And Tony... well. He has been betrayed and wounded deeply by those he has loved. T'Challa had heard it from Tony's own lips, but later fleshed out by James in a way that shows the scarring Tony still tries to mask with indifference. Another layer of armor harder to pierce even than the suit he wears to save the world.

But now Tony is here, naked in more ways than physical, vulnerable in ways deeper than when they fight for the world.

T'Challa grasps his outstretched hand, easing him into the vee of his legs where Tony gasps at the heat, but also sighs and slumps back, sprawling against the broad chest behind him, trusting utterly that T'Challa won't let him slip below the surface of the water. He wraps him in his arms, holding him with care.

Over the next half hour they lounge in silence. Jarvis keeps the water hot, automatically adjusting it so that Tony receives the full benefit of the heat. T'challa can tell it helps as Tony slowly relaxes by tiny degrees. Eventually the pain visible around his eyes recedes, though it doesn’t disappear entirely.

"Are you thirsty? Perhaps you can drink a little and maybe let me wash your hair. Would that be all right?" T'challa asks.

Tony huffs, though he accompanies it with a tiny smirk, still looking exhausted, though not as if he's in as much pain as before. 

"Rhodey's been telling tales outside of class I see."

"Perhaps. But it does not change the offer."

Tony looks away, and for a moment T'challa is sure he's going to refuse. Instead, Tony says, “Can I use your shampoo?”

T’Challa hides his grin in the curve of Tony’s neck before placing a small kiss there. “Of course, little kitten.”

He works it through the strands of hair, watching the curls slip through his fingers as he massages Tony’s scalp for long minutes. When he is finished, he works conditioner through before rinsing it out as well.

Tony is nearly limp in his arms, his head resting fully in T'Challa's careful hands. He tilts him slightly forward, working into the muscles at the base of his skull all the way down his neck and into what he can reach of his shoulders. They are tight, but loosen as he works them, aided into relaxation by the heat of the water. Eventually he cannot reach any lower without letting Tony slip too far into the water, so he stops and pulls him back against himself again.

Tony looks up at him, his eyes heavy with exhaustion and still, a faint pinch of pain. “I think I’m ready to get out now,” he says.

“Sure. And perhaps I can finish the massage when I don’t have to worry about keeping us both above water.”

Tony gives him a tired smile and lets himself be helped out of the tub. He doesn’t resist or complain at all when T’Challa sits him down and dries him off with gentle strokes of warm, fluffy towels.

He stands behind Tony as they brush their teeth, the smaller man leaning back against him. To his surprise, Tony turns around and drapes his arms around T'Challa's shoulders, hiding his face in the broad chest and asking, so very softly, “Carry me?”

T’Challa feels a rush of such tenderness fill him, it steals his voice for a moment and he presses his face into soft, damp curls, breathing in the scent of his own shampoo from Tony’s hair.

He bends down and with infinite care lifts Tony into his arms.

He finds his voice and answers, “Anywhere you wish, my love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos always appreciated!


End file.
